Windshield wiper



14, 1948. L. ZAIGER 2,449,357

WINDSHIELD WIPER Filed Sept. 8/1944 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 14, 1948. L. ZAIGER ,3

' WINDSHIELD WIPER Filed Sept. 8, 1944 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 bushing is connected to the wiper arm 2 for the purpose of transmitting vibrating movement thereto is shown in Figs. 2, 11, and 12. This comprises a member H which is pivotally mounted on the pivotal pin 9 by which the arm sections 1 and 8 are pivoted together, said connector element having a width to fit between the side walls 14 of the arm section l'i as best seenin ,Fig. 12. This connector element is also providedwith an end portion l8'adapted to engage in a lateral opening I?) with which the bushing I is provided.

With this construction, any turning movement I of the bushing l0 resulting from turning movement of the shaft 3 is transmitted to the inner arm section I and thereby to the wiper arm itself through the connector element ll.

The wiper arm can be readily removed from the shaft 3 by simply removing the clamping nut B and then withdrawing the arm and bushing from the shaft.

To replace the arm on the shaft, the bushing It is first assembled with the shaft with the lateral opennig i9 therein directed in the direction in which the arm is to assume and then the hooded portion i3 of the inner arm'section 1' may be placed over the bushing, care being taken to enter the end iii of the connector i? into the lateral opening l9 during the operation of placing the hood portion 13 over the bushing. The

clamping nut G is then applied to the screw- I threaded end of the shaft 3 and screwed home, thereby clamping the bushing firmly against the shoulder 4 and causing it to be interlocked therewith. The pivotal mounting of the connector element i1 permits the end portion 58 thereof to be entered into'the aperture is during the assembling operation. I

In Figs. 13, 14, and 15 I have illustrated a different embodiment of the invention in which the,

lateral opening in the bushing is formed at one end thereof instead of between its ends. In this embodiment the bushing is indicated at Ida and it has a cup shape with an opening .iEa in the bottom to fit against the tapered shoulder l of the shaft 3. The bushing is provided at its outer end with a lateral opening 19a which is formed in the end edge of the bushing and extends clear across the latter and thereby resolves itself into two notches I911. :The connector for connecting the bushing to thearm section 1 is indicated at Fla and is shown best in Fig. 15. This connector has an end portion. 20 which fits between the side walls E4 of the arm' section 7, and it has an enlarged head 2| that fits withinthe hood portion E3 of said arm section. This head 2! has a central aperture 22 of a size to freely receive the clamping nut 6, and said connector is formed with ribs 23, 23a adapted to fit the notches i9a. In assembling with the shaft 3 a wiper arm having the bushing Illa and connector Ha, the bushing will first be placed over the end of the shaft 3 with the aperture lZa therein engaging the serrated shoulder 4 of the shaft 3 and with the notches I9a directed in the direction in which the wiper arm is to assume when it is attached to the shaft. A connector 20 is then placed on the end of the bushing with the ribs 23, 23a occupying the transverse notches Mia, and the wiper arm is then placed in position with the hood portion i3 encircling the bushing and with the two side flanges .ingly pressingthe wiper blade againstthe windshield glass which isindicated by dotted lines 26 in Fig. 1. The spring element is indicated at 21, and it may comprise one or more leaf springs which are secured in position within the channel of the arm section 24 by tabs 28 integral with the side walls of said channel section 24 and which are bent over underneath the spring. The free end 29 of the spring bears against a roll 30 which is carried by the outer end of the inner arm section 7 as usual in windshield wiper arms.

7 I have provided herein means for varyin the pressure of the spring 2'1 against the roll 30, and thereby varying the resilient action of the spring. For this purpose I have provided a fulcrum member 31 which is located beneath the spring 21 and is confined between the latter and inturne'd edges 32 of the side Walls of the channel portion 24. This fulcrum member 3! can be moved longitudinally of the arm from the full line position shown in Figs. 2 and ito the dotted line position. This a member 2! constitutes a fulcrum about whichthe member is in the dotted line position.

The fulcrum member is shown as formed with depending portions 33 which form finger pieces by which the said member may be shifted longitudinally of the wiper arm. 1

The extremity of the wiper arm to which the wiper blade is attached is formed with two spaced side walls or flanges 34. connected bya bridge or web portion 35. This web portion 35 cooperates with a clip element 36 which is attached to the back of the wiper blade I for detachably securing said wiper blade to the wiper arm.

The clip 36 is preferably made of sheet metal which is bent to present two side walls 31, 31a spaced from each other and connected at the lower end by a bridge portion 38. At one end of the clip (the outer end, that is, the end directed toward the outer end of the wiper arm) the upper edge of the side wall 31 is bent inwardly as shown at 40 and is then bent upwardly toiorm an upstanding fin portion 4 I. The outer end of the side wall 31a has its upper edgeopposite the inturned portion 40 of the wall 31, and it is formed with a tab 39 that is bent inwardly and meets the inturned portion 40 of the side wall 31.

At the inner end of the clip (that is, the end of the clip directed toward the inner" end of the wiper blade) the side walls are somewhat lower thanat the outer end so that the upper edges 42 of the inner ends of said side walls are below the inturned portion 40 and the lower edge 44 of the fin 4|. Each side wall of the clip is formed with a recess 43 which extends below'the edge #32, and the outer wall of which is constituted by the end edges of those portions 39 and 40 0f the side walls that are bent inwardly. The fin 4| extends over and beyond the recess 43 and the lower edge 44 thereof is spaced from' the edge 42,

thereby to provide anslzenterlng slot 4'5 'to receive themes-359 as will be presentlyexplainedn The clip- 36 may;-be securedto the wiper blade I- in any desired I have herein shown for this: purpose a saddle member 65* which strada dles the wiperlblade and is rigidly securedthereto by-means of-a rivet i'lfi- This :"saddle member has. a central opening :to receive the: clip,."and the end portions 48 thereof overlie and embrace arms t9 :extendingtfrom the end-s of-"the clip. :There is s-ufiici'entlplayzbetweerr the arms dd an'd the end portions id c'f the saddle membertc provide for the desirablemocking mo tion ofithe wiper blad'e wh'enlit is in action:

Theiweh portion 35 01? 1 the. wiper- 'arm rhas f a widthsdimension; that is, 1 a dimension from its lower edge to" its upper edger. which 1 is f reater than theiswidth or the entering? slot l-fig andiit' has. a thickness dimension' suchf-asto permit it to' be entered redgewiseinto and; through "theft slot n51 Th' 'I eC6SSLfl3 is largez enoughtto accommodate thewidth idimension of theiweb 35; 9

Intassernbling5v the wiper blade with: the wiper armitherbladeais heidiin :an 'angulariposition lrelative toitheiwipen arm suchrasis shown 'in Fig; 24, an'dxthenlthe'. web sens enteredt-edgewise into slot 45 with the upper edge-etl -thereoffi leading. Whemtheweb 35'has beenbrought into the recess titethen ithe' blade andxarmfare moved relative to ieachi otherf into theirioperative positions dun ing: which"movenient :therside walls or rflan-ges 3:3 of itheiwipeniarin: .move intora position straddling the inner end of the *eiiniwith the'open endiofthfi slot ti5tdirected towardzthe inner end of said wiper arms: When in thisiposition; theiwidth dimension of:the web:35:extendstran'sverseiy: to the slot 65 andxxthexcliptis thereby" locked to' the arm and: cannotabe detached therefrom except by turning thez'arnrandit'heiclip l'backfinto a: po-sitioniin which thelwidthidil'l'lEllSlOILI-Of the v web 'extendscparallell to the'; slot: d5? When the arm ands blade; are assembled the fin 3 3i occupies a position abovort-he' end of the arm and functionssimply vase hold-a down element to prevent the web from" being raised: out of the recess 43.

The Webs-35 "may be: described as a: .clip-engag-': ing wWeb'sinCe'it is theipo-rtion of the arm which engages ,the clip} and" holds the. Wipeniblade in its. propersrelation' to thearmn The eiipeengaging; wehimay be formed; insvarious ways; without de parting'frcm the invention. In. the construction showniintfiigss 5 andu'i; the" endcf the arm has=aportionmcutt-outito provide: therelatively :large; cpeningifii; and: in forming this opening,--a; nor-1t tion of the metal to be removedwmayx-be "bent: downwardly to produce the web 35;

Imthe, construction shown in; Figs; 16; and 17' theyend ofqthe arm is provided with-thesidezwalls 34wcorresponding tothe side wallsifi'dlinxFigsw and 6 which, straddle the :clip: when thei'wiper bladais assembled therewith, .'and each; side wall: has tar tab- 52=extending therefrom; which is bent. inwardly to meet the xcorrespondingtabsof .the otherl-isideiwall and thereby: form-the clip-ori gaging .lwe-bfi I will preferably-1 make I this web so that 1 it has a a slightly anguianrelationw as best seen'in Figs; 6 and 116.0 i

In "the wiper armillustrated :the terminal TpOIJ-L tionwthereofzto which the-vwiper bladeis attached is connected-to the endoiithearm in suchlaiway asrrltoipermit said. terminal-- portion to turn into different angul'ara positions for the purposenf giv-: inganyr desired "angular pOSitiOYII-ETJO'Ethefivlpei bladeim Forz=this .purposewthe end of thez-rextension: pontioni2i5ii's provided: with? ati'ittingifi which ist ing hub portions, 'andsfilfare Lserrated mandlthe hubiiportionl"5?! is uiprovidedi With 1 a H downturned annular flange: 58 :whichds lsinteriorlm screw, threaded to :act :as a 1 nut lfor saw clampingcscrew 359i When: the. clamping screw 5911s itightenedaithertwo coneeshaped contactingserrated isurfaces'isofrrtthe nesting :hubzxmembers Mg: 51rare :lockedtogether by thefinterlocking engagement: of the serrations thereon". a 1 If the screw 595 .18 loosenedw-islightly; then the ftwo'r hubtportions may b zseparatedzssuffit-i cientlyto disengageithe"serrations:of theccontacteing: faces; thus :2 allowing: the terminal 2 portion; 5 51 to i. be :turned about the hub into. angnrdesiredl angulari position. 1:: The". tightening of :the? screw 59I wi1l bring the; contacting. serrated surfacesz of the nesting hubs again into interlocking relation; thusrlocking. the terminal section 1551? inJdts ladijustedpositiom: t

Invzthe construction :sh'own'in EFigailfijithB hub portion. 5400f the fittingifita is provided withzaa downturned annular? flange 61 which :rextends through an opening formed in the 111,110,.ipOIiti'O11 5% of the'te-rminal end part1'55a; \Therexterior surface ofithe.downturnedifiangea 61 is serrated-as is also the wall of the opening: throughz theilhub portion 156a; thereby: 'providingi anzi interlocking. engagement between. said flange 5.6113 dn'diithi with of the openings; The two hub portions: 254a and" eta-are clamped together by a: clampingscrewrfita which extends axially thIOLIgh theItWU hubiapone tions'; said-lscrew-havin'g a clampingsnutfifl screw threadeds'thereto. When: the;clampir-tcg nutlfifiris tightenedQtha-hub 56a of "the terminal. part1 d willxbetpositively locked to the hub 54a: OfytlitifitF-i ting 153m: By. backihgnfizthe.clampinmnutrafii? therebywlooseningc the clampingscrew 59a; it will be -possible to raise therflange -61 ut 20f? thee-open; ing in'thei hub .1 portion 7565i} and: whemthis :has been done 'the iiterminalrsection: 55a", may :be turned into any-desired angular .positionurelative to the fitting, and theuflangetfiz'l may therribeiire-i entered: into the aopening. 1: When ithetscrewifilia is tightened, the .twovparts will be firmlyiocked togetherbecausecofj theiinterlocking serratedziace on the flange: fi'l iwith'sthei serratedalwail xof the opening in the "hub member 156111 My improvedxarm is"adapted totbe ldet achablt applied not: only to: the :more modern: operating shaft which is located. below the iwindshieldl-ioi the automobile, butJLis alsoladapte'd .to be detach ably fmounted son what; may be call-edannffol'd style" operating shaft thattissituatedrat the top of the windshield and T15 tformedi' with :a: transverse opening designedxito receiverthe'transversel-ybent endof a wire Wipenarm'. Such an" operating. shaftv is shownat 3b inFig; 11 andit-is provided at its end 1 with the transverse: opening l '60? which was designed to receive the:laterallyibent endaof a'wireiwiper arm: V

In: mounting my improve d wip'er 'arrn on an op erating shaft of this type; I plant-:0 us'ea bushing lflb such as' sh'own-in Figs. sirens 1 2 'and This bushing haslan axial opening therethrough of a size to fit the end 10 of the shaft3b the out'-- er i end of the opening beingscrew threaded as shown at 631 The bushing-i i Bb h'as an exterior diameter of a size to fit freelyt w-ithiii th'e ho'od portion l3 of the inner arm section 1. The bushing is also provided with a transversely extending opening ll preferably of the same size as the opening 60, said opening H being in register with the opening 60 through the shaft when the bushing is applied to the shaft as shown in Fig. 12. A locking pin BI is driven through the apertures H and 60, thereby locking the bushing lflb firmly on the operating shaft 3b.

This bushing |b is also formed with another radial opening l9b which is adapted to receive the end l8 of the connecting member I! of the arm, said opening I912 of Figs. 11 and 12 corresponding to the opening IQ of Fig 2. The bushing MD has an axial dimension greater than the portion 10 of the operating shaft 3b so that the interiorly screw-threaded portion 63 of said bushing extends beyond the end of the shaft 312. The wiper arm is retained on the shaft by a clamping screw 62 having a relatively short screw-threaded portion which enters the opening in the end wall of the hood l3 and has screw-threaded engagement with the interior screw threads of the bushing lfib. The retaining screw 62 holds the arm from movement lengthwise of the operating shaft, and the connecting member I! constitutes the connection between the hub Hlb, which is locked to the shaft, and the operating arm to transmit the turning movement of the shaft to the arm.

The clip 36 shown in Figs. 1, 7, and 8 is not only adapted to be used in connection with a wiper arm such as above described, but is also adapted to be used in connection with a, wire wiper arm having a hook-shaped end such as the wiper arm 64 in Fig. 9 which is provided with a hook-shaped portion 65 having an upstanding end portion 66.

For this purpose the clip 36 is formed with a scoreline at the base of the fin 4|. so that said fin may be readily broken off from the clip by grasping the same with a pair of pliers and bending it back and forth. When the fin 41 has thus been broken off, the clip will present the two spaced sides 31,-and also the inturned portion 40 of one side 3'! and the inwardly extending tab 39 which extends from the other side 31 and meets the inturned portion 45 and forms therewith a bridge portion.

The sides 31, of the clip are spaced apart a suiilcient distance to receive between them the hook portion 65 of a wire wiper arm, and after the fin 4| has been broken off, this clip minus its fin may be attached to a wiper arm such as shown in Fig. 9 by inserting the hook 65 into the space between the sides 31, and beneath the bridge portion 39, 4B. The clip is preferably provided with a transverse opening 15 which breaks through the inturned flange 40 immediately in the rear of the inturned tab 39. The gap in the inturned flange 49 formed by the aperture l5 provides room for the upper extremity 66 of the hook 65. The bridge portion 39, M! is thus eonfined between the two sides of the hook portion 55 so that movement of the clip longitudinally of the arm 64 is prevented.

In this construction the necessary flop of the wiper blade as its direction of movement is reversed during the wiping operation is provided for by the relatively loose fit between the bridge portion 38 of the clip and the portions 48 of the saddle member.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the head It; of the cap nut 6 prevents the wiper arm from moving outwardly axiall of the shaft, In the construction shown in Fig. 11 the screw 62 is the element which holds the arm on the shaft and prevents its moving axially thereof.

In Fig. 23, I have shown a diiferent embodiment of my invention wherein the wiper arm is prevented from movement axially of the shaft by means of a screw engaging the connector element by which the arm is connected to the bushing. In said Fig. 23 the operating shaft 3 having its tapered shoulder 4 and screw threaded portion 5 and the bushing In which is interlocked with the shoulder 4 and is provided with the lateral aperture iii are similar in construction to the same parts shown in Fig. 2. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 23, however, the bushing I0 is held in its interlocking relation with the serrated shoulder 4 by means of a cap nut So which is located within the bushing l0, and the hood portion I30 of the inner wiper arm section 1c has a solid top wall I50 which conceals the nut 60. In the construction shown in said Fig. 23 a connector element llc similar to that shown in Figs. 2 and 12 is employed for connecting the wiper arm to the bushing, said connector element being pivoted on the pivot pin 9 and having an end portion l8c adapted to enter the lateral opening I!) in the bushing I0.

In this embodiment of the invention, the arm section to is held from outward movement axially of the shaft by a screw member 11 which extends through an opening in the top wall of the hood and through an opening in the connecting member He, said screw 11 having a nut 18 on its lower end. While the arm is being placed on the shaft, the nut 18 will be backed off to allow the connecting member He to have more or less free play. After the wiper arm has been placed in position as shown in Fig. 23, then the screw 11 is turned to tighten the nut 18, thereby clamping the end l8c of the connecting element against the upper wall of the opening l9 and also clamping the top wall of the arm section 1c against the top edge of the bushing l0.

I claim:

1. A windshield cleaner comprising an operating shaft, a bushing element interlocked therewith and provided with a lateral opening, a wiper arm presenting an inner channel section having a hood portion at its inner end to enclose said bushing, and a connecting member for connecting the inner channel section to the bushing, said connecting member having a portion thereof engaged in the lateral opening of the bushing and another portion located between the sides of said inner channel section.

2. A windshield cleaner comprising an operating shaft, a bushing element interlocked therewith and provided with a lateral opening, a wiper arm comprising an inner channel section having a hood portion at its inner end to enclose said bushing, and also having an outer blade-carrying section, a pivot pin pivotally connecting said arm sections, and a connecting member pivotally mounted on said pin and having an end portion to engage in'the lateral opening of th bushing.

3. A windshield cleaner comprising an operating shaft having a screw-threaded end portion, a bushing element interlocked with said shaft and provided with a lateral opening, a wiper arm including an inner channel section having a hood portion at its inner end to enclose said bushing, a connecting member for connecting the inner channel section of the arm to the bushing,

said connecting member having a portion en-- caged in the lateral opening of the bushing and 9 another portion located between the sides of said channel section, and a clamping nut screw threaded to the end of the shaft and preventing removal of the inner arm section therefrom.

4. Means for connecting a windshield Wiper arm having an inner channel section provided with a hood portion to an operating shaft, said means comprising a bushing element interlocked with said shaft and provided with a lateral opening and enclosed within said hood portion, a con-' 10 Number through the portion of the connecting member which is engaged in said lateral opening.

LOUIS ZAIGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fiie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,661,873 Buxbaum Mar. 6, 1928 1,697,710 Bostroem Jan. 1, 1929 2,003,344 Tintner June 4, 1935 2,156,506 Marcolivio May 2, 1939 2,286,035 Horton et al June 9, 1942 2,312,278 Zaiger Feb. 23, 1943 2,357,280 Smulski Aug. 29, 1944 

